• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.275-281
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• 2004

Our previous research has demonstrated that the bacterium, Pseudomonas sp. NFQ-l capable of utilizing quin­oline (2,3-benzopyridine) as the sole source of carbon, nitrogen, and energy was isolated and characterized [Yoon et ai. (2003) Kor. J. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 18(3):174-179]. In this study, we have found that Pseudomonas sp. NFQ-l could degrade quinoline as well as benzoate, and extended this work to characterize the catechol 1,2­dioxygenase (C1,2O) purified from the bacterium cultured in benzoate media. Initially, C1,2O has been purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation, gel permeation chromatography, and Source 15Q. After Source 15Q, puri­fication fold was increased to approximately 14.21 unit/mg. Molecular weight of C1,2O was about 33 kDa. Physicochemical characteristics (e.g., substrate specificity, Km, Vmax, pH, temperature and effect of inhibitors) of purified C1,2O were examined. C1,2O demonstrated the activity for catechol, 4-methylcatechol and 3-meth­ylcatechol as a substrate, respectively. The Km and Vmax value of C1,2O for catechol was 38.54 ${\mu}M$ and $25.10\;{\mu}mol{\cdot}min^{-1}{\cdot}mg^{-1}.$ The optimal temperature of C1,2O was $30^{\circ}C$ and the optimal pH was approximately 8.5. Metal ions such as $Ag^+,\;Hg^+,\;Ca^{2+},\;and\;Cu^{2+}$ show the inhibitory effect on the activity of C1,2O. N-terminal amino sequence of C1,2O was analyzed as ^1TVKISQSASIQKFFEEA^{17}.$ In this work, we found that the amino acid sequence of NFQ-l showed the sequence homology of 82, 71, 59 and $53\%$ compared with C1,2O from Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA0l, Pseudomonas arvilla C-1., P. putida KT2440 and Pseudomonas sp. CA10, respectively.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.130-136
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• 1998

Microsomes of tomato roots were prepared and the activities of microsomal ATPases were measured in order to understand the molecular mechanisms of various ion transports. The activities of plasma membrane $H^+-ATPase$ and vacuolar $H^+-ATPase$ were evaluated to ${\sim}30%$ and ${\sim}38%$ of total microsomal ATPase activity by using their specific inhibitor, vanadate and nitrate $(NO^-_3)$, respectively. The inhibitory effects of vanadate and $NO^-_3$ were additive and the simultaneous additions of these two inhibitors decreased the total activity up to $50{\sim}70%$. The microsomal ATPase activity was regulated key pH and the maximal activity was obtained at pH 7.4. The activity of microsomal ATPase was increased by $K^+$ up to ${\sim}30%$ at the concentration of $K^+$ above 10 mM. However, the $K^+-induced$ increase in the activity was completely inhibited by the simultaneous addition of $Na^+$. To identify the ATPase activity regulated by $K^+$, the effects of specific inhibitors were measured. Vanadate and $NO^-_3$ inhibited total ATPase activity by 27% and 32% in the absence, of $K^+$ and by 27% and 40% in the presence of 120 mM $K^+$, respectively. These results suggest that $K^+$ increases the activity of $NO^-_3-sensitive$ vacuolar $H^+-ATPase$ but not that of vanadate-sensitive plasma membrane $H^+-ATPase$ since vanadate has no effect on $K^+-induced$ increase in ATPase activity. The microsomal ATPase activity was also decreased by increasing $Ca^{2+}$ concentration. Interestingly, $NO^-_3$ blocked the $Ca^{2+}-induced$ inhibition of microsomal ATPase activity; however, vanadate had no effect. These results imply that vacuolar $H^+-ATPase$ is activated by $K^+$ and inhibited by $Ca^{2+}$.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.15 no.3 s.70
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• pp.439-446
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• 2005

Ferritin is known to be the principle iron-storage protein in a wide variety of rganisms. The electro­phoretic mobility and immunological cross-reactivity of dog splenic ferritin were compared with those of horse, bovine, and pig splenic ferritin after isolation using heat treatment, salting out, column chromatography, and ultrafiltration. These isolation methods allowed the recovery of $\~84{\mu}g$ of the ferritin per g of spleen. The iron content in the dog ferritin was $22.7\%$, which appeared to be higher than those in the other mammalian ferritins tested. The electrophoretic mobility of the dog ferritin under nondenaturing conditions was similar to its bovine counterpart, whereas it was more identical to pig and horse ferritins on an SDS-polyacrylamide gel. The molecular weight of the dog ferritin subunit was 19.5 kDa on an SDS-polyacrylarnide gel, and the subunit was unable to bind with iron. The polyclonal anti-dog ferritin raised in rats was able to cross-react with the pig, bovine, and horse ferritins, upon Ouchterlony double immunodiffusiion. A Western blot analysis also revealed that the anti-dog ferritin, which specifically bound with the dog ferritin subunit, could also recognize the horse, bovine, and pig ferritin subunits and the maximum cross-reactivity was exhibited with the pig ferritin subunit, indicating that the dog ferritin is immunochemically more similar to the pig ferritin than its other mammalian counterparts. Accordingly, these results elucidate the biochemical and immunochemical characteristics of dog ferritin that might have a potential to be applied as an oral iron supplement to treat iron deficiency anemia.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.96-105
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• 2005

For screening of autoregulator receptor gene from Streptomyces longwoodensis, PCR was performed with primers of receptor gene designed on the basis of amino acid sequences of autoregulator receptor proteins with known function. PCR products were subcloned into the BamHIsite of pUC19 and transformed into the E. coli $DH5{\alpha}$. The isolated plasmid from transformant contained the fragment of 100 bp, which was detected on $2\%$ gel after BamHI treatment. The insert, 100 bp PCR product, was confirmed as the expected internal segment of gene encoding autoregulator receptor protein by sequencing. Southern and colony hybridizations with the 100 bp fragment as a probe allowed to select a genomic clone of S. longwoodensis, pSLT harboring a 4.4 kb SphI fragment. Nucleotide sequencing analyses revealed a 651 bp open reading frame(ORF) were isolated protein showing moderate homology ($35{\sim}46\%$) with the ${\Gamma}$-butyrolactone autoregulator receptors from Streptomyces sp., and this ORF was named sltR The sltR/pET-17b plasmid was constructed to overexpress the recombinant SltR protein (rSltR) in E. coli BL21 (DE3)/pLysS, and the rSltR protein was purified to homogeneity by DEAE-Sephacel column chromatography, and DEAE-5PW chromatography (HPLC). The molecular mass of the purified rSltR protein was 55 kDa by HPLC gel-filtration chromatography and 28 kDa by SDS-PAGE, indicating that the rSltR protein is present as a dimer. A binding assay with tritium-labeled autoregulators revealed that the rSltR has clear binding activity with a A-factor type autoregulator as the most effective ligand.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Food Science of Animal Resources Conference
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• 2004.05a
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• pp.89-119
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• 2004

This study was conducted to isolate lactobacilli having probiotic characteristics to be used as health adjuncts with fermented milk products. Acid tolerant strains were selected in Lactobacilli MRS broth adjusted to pH 4.0 from 80 healthy persons (infants, children and adults). And bile tolerant strains were examined in Lactobacilli MRS broth in which 1.0% bile salt was added. By estimation above characteristics, the strains No. 27, which was isolated from adult feces, was selected and identified as Lactobacillus salivarius subsp. salivarius based on carbohydrate fermentation and 16S rDNA sequencing. It was used as a probiotic strain in fermented milk products. The pH of fermented milk decreased from pH 6.7 to 5.0 and titratable acidity increased from 0.3% to 1.0% by L. salivarius subsp. salivarius (isolation strain 20, 35, and 37), when incubated for 36 h at $37^{\circ}C$. The number of viable cell counts of fermented milk was maximized at this incubation condition. The SDS-PAGE evidenced no significant change of casein but distinct changes of whey protein were observed by isolated L. salivarius subsp. salivarius for titratable acidity being incubated by $0.9{\sim}1.0%$ at $37^{\circ}C$. All of the strains produced 83.43 to 131.96 mM of lactic acid and 5.39 to 26.85 mM of isobutyric acid in fermented products. The in vitro culture experiment was performed to evaluate ability to reduce cholesterol levels and antimicrobial activity in the growth medium. The selected L. salivarius subsp. salivarius reduced $23{\sim}38%$ of cholesterol content in lactobacilli MRS broth during bacterial growth for 24 hours at $37^{\circ}C$. All of the isolated L. salivarius subsp. salivarius had an excellent antibacterial activity with $15{\sim}25$ mm of inhibition zone to E. coli KCTC1039, S. enteritidis KCCM3313, S. typhimurium M-15, and S. typhimurium KCCM40253 when its pH had not been adjusted. Also, all of the isolated L. salivarius subsp. salivarius had partial inhibition zone to E. coli KCTC1039, E. coli KCTC0115 and S. enteritidis KCCM3313 when it had been adjusted to pH 5.7. The selected strains were determined to have resistances of twelve antibiotic. Strains 27 and 35 among the L. salivarius subsp. salivarius showed the highest resistance to the antibiotics. Purified ${\alpha}$-galactosidase was obtained by DEAE-Sephadex A-50 ion exchange chromatography, Mono-Q ion exchange chromatography and HPLC column chromatography from L. salivarius subsp. salivarius 27. The specific activity of the purified enzyme was 8,994 units/mg protein, representing an 17.09 folds purification of the original cell crude extract. The molecular weight of enzyme was identified about 53,000 dalton by 12% SDS-PAGE. Optimal temperature and pH for activity of this enzyme were $40^{\circ}C$ and 7.0 respectively. The enzyme was found to be stable between 25 and $50^{\circ}C$. ${\alpha}$-galactosidase activity was lost rapidly below pH 5.0 and above pH 9.0. This enzyme was liberated galactose from melibiose, raffinose, and stachyose, and also the hydrolysis rate of substrate was compound by HPLC. These results indicated that some of the L. salivarius subsp. salivarius (strain 27 and 35) are considered as effective probiotic strains with a potential for industrial applications, but the further study is needed to establish their use as probiotics in vivo.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.95-100
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• 2007

The cellulase gene of Bacillus licheniformis K11 which has plant growth-promoting activity by auxin and antagonistic ability by siderophore was cloned in pUC18 using PCR employing heterologous primers. The 1.6kb PCR fragment contained the full sequence of the cellulase gene, denoted celW which has been reported to encode a 499 amino acid protein. Similarity search in protein data base revealed that the cellulase from B. licheniformis K11 was more than 97% identical in amino acid sequence to those of various Bacillus spp. The cellulase protein from B. licheniformis K11, overproduced in E. coli DH5${\alpha}$ by the lac promoter on the vector, had apparent molecular weight of 55 kDa upon CMC-SDS-PAGE analysis. The protein not only had enzymatic activity toward carboxymethyl-cellulose (CMC), but also was able to degrade insoluble cellulose, such as Avicel and filter paper (Whatman$^{\circledR}$ No. 1). In addition, the cellulase could degrade a fungal cell wall of Phytophthora capsici. Consequently B. licheniformis K11 was able to suppress the peperblight causing P. capsici by its cellulase. Biochemical analysis showed that the enzyme had a maximum activity at 60$^{\circ}C$ and pH 6.0. Also, the enzyme activity was activated by Co$^{2+}$ of Mn$^{2+}$ but inhibited by Fe$^{3+}$ or Hg$^{2+}$. Moreover, enzyme activity was not inhibited by SDS or sodium azide.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.63-70
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• 2017

A functional screen of 60,672 fosmid metagenomic clones amplified from marine sediment obtained from the Dokdo islets in Korea identified the gene EstES1, whose product, EstES1, displayed lipolytic properties on tributyrin-supplemented media. EstES1 is a 576 amino acid protein with a predicted molecular weight of 59.4 kDa including 37 N-terminal leader amino acids. EstES1 exhibited the highest sequence similarity (44%) to a carboxylesterase found in Haliangium ochraceum DSM14365. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that EstES1 belongs to a currently uncharacterized family of lipases. Within the conserved domain, EstES1 retains the catalytic triad that consists of the consensus penta-peptide motif, GESAG. EstES1 demonstrated a broad substrate specificity toward the long acyl group of ethyl esters (C2-C12), and its optimal activity was recorded toward p-Nitrophenyl butyrate (C4) at pH 9.0 and $40^{\circ}C$ (specific activity of 255.4 U/mg). The enzyme remained stable in the ranges of $60-65^{\circ}C$ and pH 9.0-10.5 and in the presence of methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, and dimethyl sulfoxide. Therefore, EstES1 has potential for use in industrial applications involving high temperature, organic solvents, and/or alkaline conditions.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.547-557
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• 1986

The characteristics of the three alkaline proteinases, Enz. A, B and C, from the pyloric caeca of mackerel have been investigated. The optimum condition for the activity of the Enz. A, B and C was pH 9.4, 9.8 and 9.8 at $45^{\circ}C$ for $2\%$ casein solution, and was pH 9.2 10.2 and 9.8 at $45^{\circ}C$ for $5\%$ hemoglobin denatured by urea, respectively. Enz. A, B and C by heat treatment at $50^{\circ}C$ for 5 min were inactivated 90, 33 and $37\%$, respectively, over the original activity. The reaction rate of the three alkaline proteinases was constant to the reaction time to 40 min in the reaction condition of $2{\mu}g/ml$ of enzyme concentration and $2\%$ casein solution. The reaction rate equation and Km value against casein substrate determined by the method of Lineweaver and Burk were: Enz. A, Y=3.6X and $Km=5.0{\times}10^{-3}\%$; Enz. B, Y=6.0X and $Km=1.0{\times}10^{-3}\%$; Enz. C, Y=4.2X and $Km=3.6{\times}10^{-3}\%$. The three alkaline proteinases were inactivated by $Ag^+$ and $Hg^{2+}$, but activated by $Mn^{2+},\;Sn^{2+}\;and\;Pb^{2+}$, Enz. B and C were remarkably inhibited by the soybean trypsin inhibitor. Molecular weight of Enz. A, B and C determined by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and Sephadex G-100 gel filtration was in the range of $27,500{\pm}2,500,\;20,500{\pm}1,500\;and\;15,250{\pm}250$, respectively.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.709-716
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• 1998

Three kinds of anti-complementary system and macrophage activating polysaccharides, AB-20-Ia, AB-20-IIa-2a and AB-20-IVa-2 were isolated from the fruit body of Agaricus bisporus and their structures were characterized. The proteoglycan, AB-20-IVa-2 showing the most potent anti-complementary and macrophage activity was composed of glucose, galactose, mannose, xylose, fucose and arabinose in a molar ratio of 3.48:1.83:1.00:0.79:0.74:0.11 and its main component amino acids were phenylalanine (34.72%) and valine (27.84%). The neutral polysaccharides, AB-20-Ia and AB-20-IIa-2a showing lower activity than AB-20-IVa-2, consisted of xylose, glucose, mannose, fucose and arabinose in molar ratios of <0.05:<0.05:2.07:1.00:2.72 and 2.16:1.58:1.00:0.20:0.14, respectively. The molecular weights of AB-20-Ia, AB-20-IIa-2a and AB-20-IVa-2 were 840,000, 750,000 and 650,000 respectively. In the $^1H-\;and\;^{13}C-NMR$ spectra of AB-20-Ia and AB-20-IIa-2a, AB-20-Ia showed only ${\beta}-configuration\;(^1H:\;4.8\;ppm,\;^{13}C:\;107.0\;ppm)$ in the anomerization of the glycosidic linkages, while AB-20-IIa-2a had both ${\alpha}-anomer\;(^1H:\;5.4\;ppm,\;^{13}C:\;102.0\;ppm)\;and\;{\beta}-anomer$. Especially, AB-20-Ia and AB-20-IIa-2a showed acetyl signals $(^1H:\;2.5\;ppm,\;^{13}C:\;21.0\;ppm)$. In the methylation analysis of the three polysaccharides, high proportion of 1,6-linked glucofuranosyl residues were detected in AB-20-Ia, whereas 1,6-linked glucopyranosyl residues and branches linked at position 4 of those mainly contained in AB-20-IIa-2a. AB-20-IVa-2 consisted mainly of 1,2-linked xylofuranosyl residues and 1,6-linked glucopyranosyl residues and branches linked at position 3 of those.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.175-184
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• 2008

To screen highly active Bacillus thuringiensis isolates against Spodoptera litura (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae), 46 B. thuringiensis was isolated from 115 samples obtained from several crop soils. Especially, B. thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki CAB133 and CAB162 isolates showed 100% mortality against S. litura. $LD_{50}$ values of CAB 133, CAB162 and HD-1 strains of B. thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki were 0.089, 3.144 and $0.513{\mu}g/ml$ against 2nd larva of S. litura, respectively. The weight of 3rd larva of S. litura which were fed crystal inclusion protein $(1.267{\mu}g/ml)$ with B. thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki CAB133 was about 30 times lass than control group. CAB133 and CAB 162 strains of B. thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki which were taken a highly toxity against S. litura were analyzed by SDS-PAGE, and estimated the molecular weight of the Cry proteins. Their serological identification by H serotypes were showed B. thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki (3abc) type.